Israel-Gaza live updates: Israeli officials on reports of Russian airport protesters

In a press briefing on Saturday, Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that "the forces are still on the ground and are continuing the war" and the Israel Defense Forces "will continue to make a concerted effort in order to maintain the security of our forces, using strong fire from the air, this is combat."

Meanwhile, several Hamas commanders have been killed overnight as part of the expanded offensive as aid trucks make their way into Gaza carrying food and water.

5:21

Israel expands ground operations in Gaza

Video shows tanks in Gaza and troops on the ground as Israel widen its campaign aimed at eliminating Hamas.

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Hagari confirmed there have been 311 Israel Defense Forces fatalities since Oct.7 and added that the IDF have suffered no casualties in the overnight operations.

There are reports that communication networks have been cut in Gaza and WHO Chief Tedros Ghebreyesus who said the communications blackout is making it “impossible to reach the injured” and WHO staff, according to a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The Israel Defense Forces said they hit 150 underground targets in the northern Gaza Strip overnight and killed the head of Hamas’ Ariel Array – Asem Abu Rakaba.

In a Saturday morning post, the IDF said that based on intelligence it had and intelligence from the Israel Securities Authority, IDF fighter jets struck and killed Abu Rakaba.

He was responsible for Hamas' UAVs, drones, paragliders, aerial detection and aerial defense, the IDF and Israel Securities Authority said in a joint release. He took part in planning the massacre in the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, the IDF said. He directed the terrorists who infiltrated Israel on paragliders and was responsible for the drone attacks on IDF posts, according to the military.

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Latest on the IDF

The Israel Defense Forces have hundreds of thousands of troops massed on the border as 150 airstrikes hit underground targets hit in Gaza.

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The IDF said it also hit tunnels and underground infrastructure. Several Hamas terrorists were killed in the attacks, according to the IDF.

-ABC News’ Clark Bentson

Protesters with a Jewish peace activist group are calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza in a large, ongoing demonstration Friday at Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

Metro-North said Grand Central is closed due to the protest.

According to organizer Jewish Voice for Peace-New York City, a far-left Jewish group, thousands of members and allies are taking part in the sit-in, which comes after Israel announced it is expanding its ground activity in Gaza.

The State Department was tracking the potential for a significant escalation in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza throughout the day but did not have confirmation that the Israel Defense Forces would expand its ground operations until around the time it was announced to the public earlier Friday, according to two U.S. officials.

Officials say the U.S. has been pressuring Israel to adopt a narrower scope for its offensive and take a more incremental approach. One source said that while Israeli forces seem likely to stay on the ground in Gaza for a longer duration this time, if this incursion doesn't spiral, it could be a positive sign that the administration is successfully making its case.

At this hour, there is still no clarity from the U.S. side on whether this is the big ground offensive that's been expected -- or just part of the buildup.

Officials are confident that they can keep up the short windows of calm that have allowed a limited amount of aid to flow into Gaza through the Rafah Gate, but these fall short of the sustained “humanitarian truce” the United Nations is demanding.

But several other delicate negotiations directly involving the U.S. -- including efforts to free the hostages, allow foreign nationals to exit Gaza and create safe spaces inside the enclave -- could be sidelined by a more comprehensive ground assault. Talks with all parties involved press on. Officials acknowledge that the U.S. would have liked to resolve these issues before any escalation, but that Hamas was likely to use its leverage to push off additional military action as long as possible.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Crawford